BLJ: Bro. Boardman had seen church leaders that were hiding behind their positions and titles. It is such a dangerous place to be for a church leader to have the lost the experience of holiness and be too proud to admit it. While I am a young 65, I have seen this also. I watch and observe. Do I hear testimonies of entire sanctification? I remember hearing some of the old timers who would say: "Praise God! I can testify that He still saves and sanctifies my soul. He takes me all the way through and my experience is up to date and top shelf!" That is my testimony today! What is yours?
WHEN LEADERS LOSE OUT
A fearful tragedy appears in the lives of those who one time did take the "death-route" to the terminal, and were gloriously sanctified holy, but they do not now have the experience. Many of them attained to a high level of power and influence in the church, but they grieved the Holy Ghost away and became politically corrupt in handling the business of the church. There are many who DO believe in the crucifixion of self, and who preach it in theory, but they themselves are no longer crucified, nor are they living the sanctified life as they once did. Their problem is that the Old Man didn't STAY dead. It seems to be a fairly consistent pattern for many church leaders, if they are in leadership very long, to maintain holiness in their theology, but become carnal in their spirit and dealings.
"He answers me no more,
My pride has closed the door;
Oh, I've trifled with God and conviction,
Till He answers me no more!"
Backslidden, professed Christian leaders are among the devil's greatest helpers for robbing any church of true Christianity. The overall purpose of this book is to create an overwhelming desire on the part of backsliders and other lost, hell-bound souls to go all the way back to God and prepare for heaven; to alert careless ones who are beginning to slip into a condition which, if not checked would mean eternal loss to their souls; and to urge professed Christians on every level of influence, to gain and retain the best possible Christian experience that is available to them, for the sake of their own eternal hope and their tremendous influence on others. Let us all, now and forever, be totally emptied of self and filled with God!
"Emptied of self, and filled with Thee,
Spirit of God, abide with me;
Help me to die to self and sin,
Spirit divine, come in, come in!"
INFAMOUS INFLUENCE IS INEXCUSABLE
One who does not understand the crucifixion of self may be to some extent excusable, but one who does understand it and rejects it and tries to destroy it from the church, is both anti-Christ and anti-Holy Ghost. There is hope for one who does not understand it, if he will keep his heart open to God and walk in all the light which God gives him. Paul confessed that he persecuted the church and tried to destroy it, but he did it ignorantly in unbelief (I Tim. 1:13).
The faithful Holy Ghost will reveal the truth of "death-route" holiness to anyone whose mind is not closed. If God could get the initial step toward this vital truth across to Saul of Tarsus after he had been destroying Christians, He should be able to get it across to anyone who will be open-minded and honest (Acts 9:1-9).
"Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely,
Assured if I my trust betray,
I shall forever die."
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